Is The Plague woke?
Movie · 2025
The Plague has a wokeness score of 7/10, which we rate as Strongly Ideological. Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key points
- Prominent critique of toxic masculinity as the root of bullying and social hierarchies among young boys.
- Themes of peer pressure and scapegoating framed as inherent flaws in traditional male group dynamics.
- Director's intent and reviews emphasize confronting complicity in cruel male socialization as a broader societal issue.
Wokeness analysis
The Plague (2025) centers on an all-boys water polo camp where a socially anxious 12-year-old navigates ruthless hierarchies, peer pressure, and scapegoating of an outcast labeled with a fictional 'plague' tied to a skin condition. While the core plot examines bullying and conformity in a 2003 setting, the narrative is heavily shaped around critiques of toxic masculinity, the formation of aggressive male social dynamics, and the horrors of puberty-driven dominance and exclusion. Reviews and analyses repeatedly highlight these as intentional themes, portraying traditional boyish competition and hierarchy as inherently poisonous and cyclical, leading to real harm. The director has discussed exploring male vulnerability and social dread in ways that critique unchecked masculinity, drawing parallels to broader societal issues like authoritarianism and bullying culture. This framing feels message-driven, with plot and characters serving to underscore how cruelty masquerades as games among boys and the need to confront complicity in such systems. Diversity appears minimal and organic (mostly white cast with some racial mix in supporting roles), but the ideological emphasis on deconstructing 'toxic' male behaviors elevates it beyond subtle sensibilities into prominent social commentary that overshadows pure entertainment for many viewers. The R-rated content includes crude discussions of sexuality and body horror elements tied to the bullying, reinforcing the critique of adolescent male culture rather than focusing solely on story or escapism.
Plot
Set in the summer of 2003 at an all-boys water polo camp, socially anxious 12-year-old Ben struggles to fit into a ruthless social hierarchy. He initially aligns with popular boys led by Jake but befriends outcast Eli, who is shunned for a mysterious skin condition dubbed 'the plague.' As teasing escalates into cruel rituals blending game and reality, Ben confronts his complicity amid psychological turmoil. The psychological drama-thriller explores peer pressure, fear, and the blurring lines between bullying and harm, starring Everett Blunck as Ben, Kayo Martin as Jake, Kenny Rasmussen as Eli, and Joel Edgerton as coach Daddy Wags. It premiered at Cannes in May 2025 and received a limited US release on December 24, 2025.
Analyzed by AI on June 13, 2026